How to create your own startup, promote and develop it? How to organize your startup, a practical guide Analyze current markets and trends

When you think about starting your own business, a million questions arise in your head: How to create a startup? How to start a startup? What is my niche? How to develop a business plan for a startup? How to differentiate yourself from competitors? How to set business goals correctly? How to get investment in startups?

A clear action plan sets the direction for launching startups and will help you stay focused even when other things around you seem to be going crazy. Luckily, other people have gone through this before and there is now enough information on how to start a startup.

What is a startup?

Today, the word "startup" flashes everywhere on the Internet, on television, radio, in various print media. Verbatim from of English language start-up is translated as how to launch something, in practice, a startup is a project that has recently launched or has a short history of actions and builds its business on innovative technologies with limited resources, but with all this has significant potential for development. In other words, a startup is any business undertaking, regardless of the field of activity.

Anyone can start a startup, but for this you need to understand how ready he is for this business. It should be noted that the launch of startups, despite the nuances and hard work, in comparison with the liquidation of a business, is a very easy process.

Remember, when developing a plan for how to create a startup, you also need to consider all the ways to get out of business in case of failure. And if you suffered one failure, this is not a sign that you cannot try to go through the stages of a startup again with a new product.

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How do you know if you're ready for a startup?

First of all, you must be proactive and bring things to their logical conclusion every time. In addition, you must be adaptable, able to work in a team, have certain communication skills, be open to change and learn quickly in order to grow at the same time as your project. Be able to correctly ask for investment for your startup and correctly offer your product or service. But, more important is the compatibility between you and the startup you are working on and the belief in the product that this startup is developing from scratch.

A startup from scratch gives you the opportunity to organize a flexible work schedule for yourself only if things are going well, and this will definitely not come right away. Don't be afraid of bureaucracy and organizational politics as long as you have the opportunity to work in a team that truly believes in the product. If you imagine: warm working environment, opportunities for personal and professional development, no bosses, and you feel that you like it, then you can confidently say that you are ready to create a startup.

Today, probably every representative modern society dreams of a job without bosses, short days of rest, one that could provide a comfortable life, provided she lives in full force, and not according to the daily program of home-work-home.

That is why undertakings are so popular, the implementation of which does not require their own large investments at all, many of them choose to start a startup from scratch or even before the start-up they find investors.

Where to begin?

To reach certain heights in your endeavors, collect as much information as possible on how to create a startup. Decide what type your future business is and whether you need to invest in Startup from the outside. What will you do? You will promote your product to an existing or new market, or you will find your niche. All this needs to be sorted out before starting a startup. Study carefully all the stages of a startup. Carefully, in all details, prepare your vision of the business.

Vision, first of all, represents the exact knowledge of how your launched startup will look like in 3-5 years, namely: what will be its place in a certain market, who are the main customers and what consumer needs are satisfied, are there any competitive advantages that contribute successful development business. And only after that start to act.

To act means to develop a business plan for a startup that contains the stages of business development: creating a company, planning a location, hiring, promoting a business, developing and delivering products or services, as well as assessing the relationship between resources allocated and results obtained, potential profits and possible losses.

Confidence in Russian startups and their success must be very strong and represent a source of energy to overcome any difficulties.

It is necessary to rationally divide the entire process of formation and development into the following stages of a startup.

An idea is extremely important for launching startups. It can arise due to personal creative thinking, a thorough study of the needs of the target audience, and it can also simply be borrowed, for example, in the West, which has become quite a common practice in our country.

On the this stage it is important to analyze all the available information on creating a startup in all possible sources, from newspapers and magazines to the Internet and the usual survey of friends and acquaintances, confirming the uniqueness of the idea that will become the basis of a new startup created. All this work needs to be done in order to avoid the unpleasant situation of duplicating an existing business.

It is worth thinking about your own security during the development of a startup, after all, before starting a startup and for some time after the project is not yet profitable, therefore, livelihoods are needed from outside. It is also important to think over all the ways and means to turn the earnings received on the project into banknotes.

Many beginners at the stage of creating a startup prefer to work alone, perhaps there is a rational grain in this, but a good, cohesive team can achieve great heights of success. It is important to determine the number of partners, they should not be more than 2, otherwise it will become inconvenient to control the process of fulfilling the duties of each and the startup will become a set of unrelated tasks.

A very important and extremely necessary stage is the preparation of a startup business plan. Without it, not a single investor will even look in the direction of the project, and after all, investing in startups can become a good reference point for a business start-up. Yes, and the author of the startup himself will not be hindered by cold calculation and systematization of data, in the future this will allow you to quickly and effectively correct the shortcomings that have arisen on the part of finance.

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As a rule, in order to launch a project, certain financial investments are required. That is why many novice project authors, even knowing everything about how to create a startup, stop at this stage of a startup, putting a big and bold cross on their idea. In fact, it is quite possible to find funds for a startup, you just have to make efforts, patience and spend your time on it. Many investors can really be found on special exchanges, within social networks, various sites on the Internet. Russian startups, depending on their specifics, can receive government funding. For example, if you live in Krasnodar, then I can direct you in the right direction to receive a grant to develop your startup and get advice from professionals.

Sometimes a situation arises that no matter how hard a newly minted startupper tries, unfortunately, not a single investor shows interest in his project. In this case, the main rule is not to despair, keep moving forward and try to find all the mistakes and shortcomings of your idea and seek investment in startup. It is necessary to hone all the details and moments that may affect the emergence of interest in the project until the expected result is achieved. It is thanks to perseverance, faith in one's own strengths and the ability to mobilize oneself in any situation that one manages to launch unique, profitable projects.

Benefits of starting startups

• Startups have the following benefits:
• flexibility in relations with business partners,
• fast and efficient management decisions,
• small number of employees,
• effective management of human relations.

But remember, to achieve maximum success in a new business, even before you start a startup, you need to identify the main element of your business and differentiate it from similar ones in the market. This will give competitive advantages and loyalty to trading partners through: tailoring products and services according to customer needs, reducing delivery time, improving the difference between price and quality, providing after-sales service, continuous online support.

Business risks

There are various risks that affect both a start-up from scratch and already quite “mature” companies to the same extent: a dynamic business environment and rapid growth of competition, limited access to financing, lack of information about foreign regulations for various industries.

To mitigate the effects of these potential risks, the entrepreneur and his team should always be alert and concerned about access to information related to the scope of Russian startups. Based on this flow of information, they will analyze the opportunities and risks that may arise from external environment companies (economic, legal, social), and will set business development goals and strategies.

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business goals

A startup from scratch that relies on good management, defines its goals using the SMART rule. Under the SMART rule, it is understood that the business goal should be:

• concrete,
• measurable
• achievable
• realistic
• defined in time.

Each novice must define long-term, medium-term and short-term goals and objectives for his startup. Since only identifying priority lenses will help achieve the desired success.

So, the strategic and long-term goals of a startup from scratch (3-5 years) should take into account a number of important elements for the development of a Russian startup, such as:

• turnover and net profit,
• the amount of material investment in human resources,
• the amount of material investments in business promotion,
• the needs of the business itself and the financing structure.

Medium-term (1-3 years) and short-term (1 year) goals stem from strategic objectives and are aimed at detailing commercial areas, such as:

• offering products and services,
• target market,
• target customers
• business promotion,
• sales ability and strength,
• distribution channels.

Investing in startups is one of the main elements of launching startups.

Therefore, investment goals also fall into this category:

• repair and arrangement of space,
• acquisition of machines, equipment, software.

It is also worth emphasizing that in order to achieve any goal, before starting a startup, a strategy must be developed that will consider the main stages of action, intermediate and final dates, allocated resources and assigned responsibilities and, of course, the results to be achieved.

The results of the strategy are reflected in the overall situation in the company, which can be analyzed periodically (monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and/or annually) using relevant indicators, such as the dynamics and structure of turnover, the number of customers and the average value of transactions, the flow Money and the level of labor productivity. Also, correct and clearly articulated strategies can attract investment in startups.

Business strategies

Beginners know how to create a startup only based on the examples of their friends, acquaintances or idols, or from the experience of an employee in another company with a similar product. Therefore, in the case before starting a startup, business strategies are the result of personal experience and managerial skills of an entrepreneur.

There are Russian startups that start their work without defining clear goals and strategies, entrepreneurs relying only on intuition and market opportunities. But as the business grew, there was a need for effective management based on specific strategies:

• for company development (new markets, new products, partnerships, mergers),
• on startup investment strategies (self-financing, commercial loans, bank loans),
• management strategies human resources (learning programs, promotion plans, evaluation and cancellation fees).

For each startup, a strategy is developed from scratch on the so-called “zero basis”. This means that a startup has no history, and when drawing up a document, an entrepreneur is guided only by an analysis between goals and results, effects and efforts.

To develop a strategy, aspiring entrepreneurs can look to other companies in the market as examples, but they must also emphasize their competitive advantages and bring “flavor” to their startup.

How to create a startup from scratch

Have you thought about opening own business. And so, the question arose: what kind of business to do? The best option would be such an option as a startup.

So, a startup is a project aimed at a short existence. Most often, it is created in a few months and, sometimes, does not even have a status legal entity. Now it will depend solely on the owner how successful the development of his startup will be, and whether it will turn into a full-fledged project.

Best Startup Ideas

Of course, before creating a project, you need to think about what exactly you will do. Startup ideas can be completely diverse and differ significantly from each other.

Consider the most unusual and profitable options:

1. Recycling and recycling of materials. For example, you can start a waste paper collection company and then produce books by emerging authors for a small amount of recycled paper. Thus, you will not only earn extra money, but also save the environment.
2. Promotion projects. SMM and PR on the Internet do not require special financial costs, but are considered very profitable for performers. You can open your own service for exchanging likes with additional services - for example, instant boost of subscribers for a small amount. Thus, you will gradually earn good money.
3. Invention of new types of gadgets. If you're lucky, you can even win a grant to develop your project and get worldwide recognition. Think about what kind of device can benefit people, and implement your idea. For example, a new model of bicycles, a special smart watch or a robot.
4. Using other people's projects. You can buy a startup for a small amount and start developing it. For example, small shop youth jewelry or underground literature. Thus, you will buy an already developing business, but it will depend on you how its fate will develop in the future.

Rating of the best startups

Now let's look at those startups that caused the greatest resonance in the Russian Federation and beyond.

In Russia

1. Online hypermarket 2for1. A joint project of Ukrainian and Russian figures. This store brings together the most popular brand stores and is aimed specifically at a foreign audience. Moreover, the site publishes only products with a big discount, which allows fashionistas to significantly reduce their expenses for buying clothes.
2. Aero State. A project that allows you to assess the state of the air in every corner of the world in a few seconds. Or AstroDigital, which is somewhat similar to it, is a collection of all the cartographic data of the Internet, where you can instantly look at the place you are interested in from different angles.
3. AntioncoRAN-M- the world's first cure for neck and head cancer! He will be able to increase the effect of radiation therapy on the patient and speed up his recovery.
4. carprice. This is a service that allows you to sell cars at maximum speed to any Internet user. It is the most convenient for reselling a car "from hand to hand",
5. FireChat- Russian-made messenger. The service is so popular that more than five million users have been using it lately.

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Abroad

1. Periscope. One of the most popular services for creating and publishing short video broadcasts. After the end of the broadcast, the broadcast will be available for one day.
2. gogoro: machines of the future. The company is engaged in the creation of electric scooters that do not require recharging. A motorcycle of this level is ideal for big cities. It can increase its speed to 98 km/h and drive up to 190 km without changing batteries.
3. Aero. Device white color, which allows you to solve the problem with the signal of the home Internet network. It transmits a signal to all other gadgets in the house, for example, from a laptop or router.
4. 21. A startup that will give you the opportunity to earn cryptocurrency using a regular smartphone.

Features of investing in a startup at the initial stage

When deciding to invest in any project, you should know that the idea may not pay off, and the money will not return to you. But, as they say, who does not take risks - he risks even more, which means it's worth a try. In any case, the probability of failure is low.

Before investing money, it is important to familiarize yourself with all the components of the project and study the different aspects of this issue.

Usually, to create a startup, you need to have a team with cumulative competencies. Frontend, backend, production, marketing - there are so many terms and if you delve into each area, it seems impossible to raise a project with the help of one specialist. Let's check.

Who is needed for your project

Delving into the details of project development, we highlight main steps:

• Design. The main part of the project. It is implemented, as a rule, by the initiator of a startup. He also thinks out the functionality and sets tasks for the rest of the project participants.

• Development. Technical part. Usually requires the involvement of one or more specialists (depending on complexity).

• Marketing. The shell of the project and the final stage of its implementation. It is believed that it can "wrap" a startup with a minimal budget. His qualifications are important, because the success of the project largely depends on him.

in web startups social sphere and e-commerce, the presence of specialists with the above competencies is mandatory. Such a team can solve the issue of implementation. If we consider the attitude of each to the project in more detail, we note that:

1. Ambitious design details may not be within the competence of the developer (either the customer wants too much, and this will entail the addition of third-party specialists to the team, or implementation taking into account the selected technologies is in principle impossible, which will lead to a conflict of interest).
2. The marketing approach is often reckless. If you neglect analytics at the start of the project, there will be a risk of premature “draining” of the budget or inability to work with the target audience of the project due to a lack of understanding of the market.
3. "Family" design. The initiator of a startup builds a project based on his own interests, relying on the judgments of others, which, as a rule, are not related to the very specifics of the project. The lack of a concept of the target audience can lead to the inability of the project to be published at the design stage.
4. Wrong selection of performers. Team structure - key factor web project. As a rule, there are 2 types of those at the initial stage: “me, my girlfriend and a neighbor” or “me and freelancers”.

In most cases, both types are doomed, because in the first case there is “personal” in the project, which is unacceptable for a startup, and the second case, in general, is from a series of fiction and requires serious managerial skills from the organizer. Freelance work deserves separate topic, but briefly highlight the following limitations:

• The search for a competent developer is difficult due to the specifics of the industry (a vicious circle: in order to set a task and check it, you need to understand it yourself).
• Manipulating deadlines is the main problem of a startup.
• Ordinary cases: “I can’t”, “the subscriber is unavailable” lead to large financial costs (you have to look for new performers, and the latter need time to understand the process).

Do it yourself

At first glance, this seems impossible, but let's try to figure it out.

1. Design

Everything starts from scratch. You need to take a notepad and draw your project. Detailed, down to every button, trying to understand your client.

There are several practices for this:

• Audience segmentation
• Competitor analysis (web analysis required)
• List of errors (what we want to avoid when implementing)

A detailed layout (on paper) gives us a clear idea of ​​the project, the portrait of the client and the structure of the niche as a whole.

2. Development

There are many methods for implementing web projects. For a beginner, they are all equally difficult, and some simply cannot be mastered without preparation. The terms of training in development skills are often huge and require a large amount of effort and resources. For effective development, it is recommended to use a framework that allows you to short term implement any full-fledged complex project. The ideal framework should have functionality that allows you to create:

• Aggregators of goods and services
• Booking systems
• Real Estate Websites
• Job exchanges
• Notice boards
• Auctions
• Social networks

A universal solution for the implementation of such initiatives will be a database designer with convenient management and documentation that allows you to develop a project within 1-2 months. Loads and prompt delivery of content must be implemented by a powerful search engine that can handle any amount of data.

We emphasize additional criteria for a quality framework:

• The system has been tested and used for more than two years to create custom
• Formed staff and technical support team
• The portfolio contains projects of similar subjects

3. Marketing

Based on the success of similar companies, by the time the product is released to the masses, we already have an idea of ​​​​the market. It is easy to imagine that for some niches, the classic promotion methods do not work at all. It is necessary to design effective exits to target audience.

Outcome

Summarize. To have three competencies (design, development, marketing), a few months of intensive work are enough. Firstly, such a short period will allow you to “not burn out”, and secondly, by defining clear instructions for yourself within the framework of the entire process, you can cope with almost any task in 2 months. The skills acquired in the process will allow you to effectively manage the current project alone, as well as launch new ones in the shortest possible time.

From a beautiful idea and blueprint to the sale of a startup, Zuckerberg needs to go through several important steps and not stumble. So what are you waiting for? Forward!

Ignat Sakharov

Location selection

The world is one, the Internet erases borders - and that's great. But only for those who have already received investments. And if you have just drawn the first prototype of your drone-vacuum cleaner for catching flies, a long road awaits you. Because talking with a business angel over a freezing Skype from Kostomuksha is to wake up the business devil in him. For presentations and negotiations, you need a personal presence, which means you need to go where there are accelerators, business incubators, technology parks and other nests of investors.

In America - Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle, and, of course, Silicon Valley, where any beggar has a startup presentation with him.

In Canada, there is the small town of Waterloo, where Blackberry is fighting for life and a young growth of startups is growing, many of which are associated with a half-dead giant.

In Germany, Berlin.

In India - Bangalore, a local analogue of Silicon Valley, where investors from all over the world come to get hold of shares of very high-quality Indian startups.

In Russia - Moscow, where there is Skolkovo, and besides it - well-known accelerators and venture funds: IIDF, GenerationS, Farminers. Also Kazan, where the Pulsar Venture accelerator works, and St. Petersburg with iDealMachine.

Choice of helpers

It just seems that there are a lot of ideas around, but little money. There really isn't much to invest in. In reliable banks, rates are zero. In stocks, the risk is high, but the return is not very. But a successful startup gives up to 1000 percent per annum - there will definitely be those who want to help.

FFF - from family, friends, fools (family, friends, fools). They will finance you a little at the start, because they managed to have common genes, study together or be optimists.

Business incubator. If the project is impressive, the incubator will provide space, office equipment, and a coffee maker for a small fee or share in the project. Unfortunately, they don't give a secretary.

Accelerator is a business incubator with training and supervision options. The purpose of the accelerator is to polish the project so that when reading the presentation, investors do not have suicidal thoughts. And then sell. Business angel - will buy out a share from the accelerator if he believes in the growth of the project. There is no clear boundary between an accelerator and a business angel, they can replace each other. But business angels are usually pickier.

Venture fund - from here you will receive the first big money. Or you won't. The Foundation can spend hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars on your project, but only if everything is already working and growing at the pace of a broiler chicken.

Answers on questions

This step will be repeated every time, from investor to investor. And it's the easiest thing to stumble on. So first, answer the questions for yourself.

Does anyone need your product? Most startups close because the product is not needed. Yes, the public simply has not yet grown up to an application that identifies a German philosopher by the first volume of the text. But it's better to understand it right away.

Is it a venture business? If we are talking about 25 percent per annum, it is easier for an investor to buy a pub in Munich. A startup can only attract it with a tenfold profit in a short time. This is the essence of venture business: big payoff for big risk.

Do you have something to show? Investors want to see an MVP (minimum viable product) - a product that can be sold immediately, even if it is raw. That is, the drone prototype should at least bounce. Can you scale quickly? To grow 10x quickly, a business must scale quickly. To make 100 more pubs is a year and a billion. Enabling new distribution channels for an app is a week and a million. And which is more attractive?

Is there a competitive advantage? Riveting the same Facebook but with purple buttons is a feat that will not be appreciated. Investors are advised to "seek pain" - to find out from buyers what they are missing in the existing solution to a certain problem.

Is it a seasonal business? The application for an urgent call to Santa Claus will set a record for downloads on New Year's Eve, but the rest of the year will only be of interest to bored penguins. And it's a pretty narrow market.

Decor

Startup co-founders who discuss pre-seed in a coworking space over a glass of smoothie often forget that the output will still be a banal LLC or CJSC with tax reporting and staffing. Or GmbH, Ltd, LLC, SRL - depending on the country. Therefore, any investor will want to see at least basic documents.

Confirmation of the existence of a legal entity. charter, memorandum of association, extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, certificate of registration. The whole procedure of pumping money into a startup is accompanied by transfers of shares from one hand to another. The investor must be sure that not a single detail in the design of the legal entity will interfere with this.

Registration of intellectual property. If you came up with a rubber suitcase that can hold everything, and immediately shared the idea with the whole world, as we are now, the investor, at best, will pour you strong sweet tea to relieve stress. Because someone else has already patented the product and is preparing it for sale. All your ideas must be formalized, there must be contracts for others.

Receiving the money

Pre-seed stage. There is a team, there is a working prototype, there are first buyers, there is no money for a full-fledged launch. At this stage, it is better to go to three Fs, or engage in bootstrapping - this is how they delicately call shaking out a piggy bank, laying an apartment in a bank, selling your favorite collection of Bryansk porcelain. Accelerators at this stage give money only to very tasty projects. The amount of investment is usually 1–1.5 million rubles.

seed stage. The rights are issued, the market is studied, growth graphs are drawn in Excel, the economy is calculated. Here you can connect an accelerator or a business angel. Main mistake startups at this stage - generosity out of desperation. If you give the first investor a third in the enterprise, then in the course of the next financial injections, other people's shares will exceed 50 percent. And venture funds believe that a startup with a small share of its own loses motivation - they don’t give big money to them.

Round A. The project worked for a year or two, the unit-economy (income-income per client) is positive, the growth is continuous and there is still room for growth. This is the stage at which an accelerator or business angel is ready to sell his stake to a venture capital fund. This means that you are waiting for communication with a large investor who will pour 50-100 million rubles into your business.

Round B. Everything is going well, and the investor proposes to start scaling in a serious way, at the international level. Here, up to a billion rubles can be poured into the promotion.

IPO. The secret dream of any start-up and investor, for the sake of which everything is started, is the launch of the company's shares into free circulation. The procedure is not fast, it requires transparency and good accountability. But it is on the stock exchange that your share will be valued in money and can immediately turn into money, you just have to give an order to the broker.

Round BBB (beach, boat, blond). Yes, we read in your business plan about the mission and benefit to society. But after all, everything was started for the sake of this round, right?

Growth Technologies

A startup can be launched with only an old laptop and a mobile phone. But there must be something new in them so that the chance of success is higher. For example, new Information Technology specially designed for startups. If you don’t know about these, then your competitors probably already know.

VTsOD. A virtual data processing and storage center is when you are rented out the power of a cloud service and you create a virtual machine there with up to sixteen cores. Rostelecom has such a service: it rents out the capacity of the National Cloud Platform. Scaling - for example, with an increase in site traffic - can be done quickly and without contacting technical support.

Virtual PBX. If your startup is tied to a lot of incoming calls, you need several lines. And to buy them separately - the entire tranche of round B will just go away. But a virtual PBX gives a bunch of lines and numbers of internal subscribers on one city number. Again, scalable.

VPN network with protection against DDoS attacks. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network - virtual private network. That is, you do not pull cables around the office, but rent a virtual server and work through it. Rostelecom also protects tenants from DDoS attacks - this is when villains overload the server with requests so that no one can enter.

Virtual contact center. Instead of renting a semi-basement at the price of a suite at the Ritz and settling operators there, you can order a service that comes with Rostelecom's virtual PBX. In a couple of days, a contact center of any scale will be set up for you - it can be controlled remotely without buying new equipment.

Web video conference. If any meeting with partners and investors ends with beer and dancing until the morning, you should not risk your business. By connecting the Internet in Rostelecom, all participants in the negotiations can be united in one video conference without downloading new software and regardless of what browsers they have.

Any ideas require preliminary preparation. If this is a start from scratch, the question arises - where to get the money for the business. Perhaps the idea will be based on traditional solutions, it is somewhat simpler in terms of the ability to take into account all the risks. There is someone else's experience, the path is paved, and the probability of success and quick profits is high. If the decision is made to organize your startup, then here, as in a roller coaster. Ups and downs are inevitable, although the end result and benefits may exceed all expectations.

And so that your path is not so unexpected, and the turns are not so steep, first we will figure out what a startup company is.

• 1 What is a startup
• 2 What are the types of startups
• 3 Where to get money for the project
• 4 Stages of startup development
• 5 Startups based on American and European models

What is a startup

The term got its name from a small “start up” company that managed to become one of the brands we know, Hewlett-Packard, or HP. This term gained great popularity at the time of the creation of the first large Internet companies. Vivid examples of successful startups are Youtube video hosting, the electronic encyclopedia - Wikipedia, social networks, as well as some IT corporations.

In addition to major market players, there are many other projects that have only recently begun their development. Some have started on crowdfunding platforms, the most famous of which is kickstarter. There are even incredible examples when, for fun, a person placed an offer to raise money to buy pizza and received thousands of dollars. Under such market conditions, really worthwhile projects are simply doomed to success. The main thing is the implementation plan, the ability to visualize the idea and show its value to the investor. As a rule, they are the ones who draw promising projects, ordinary users can support your idea only with very good promotion (reddit for help).

At the heart of the activities of a start-up company that has just identified itself on the path of business, there is always new idea or technology. Initial costs go to the development, testing, implementation and marketing of innovations. And it doesn't have to be just money. If a company is formed by enthusiasts (or one innovator-inventor), then it is more likely that we will talk about intellectual investments, human resources.

An extremely important point - do not forget about marketing, even after the start. It is always necessary to promote an idea, a vivid example is the iPhone. We advise you to watch the first presentations of the smartphone, the basics of marketing for information solutions remain the same.

If an idea or new technology turn out to be viable, profitable, then such a startup can be profitably sold. Or leave it as a brand, a new, profitable and promising project. Here are the main features of a startup:

1. Always an innovative or underestimated idea.
2. Investors. They are needed at the beginning of the journey, when there is still no concrete material result. That is, money is invested in the idea.
3. The number of transactions and reputational successes are not significant enough to predict future activity with confidence.
4. There is a development plan, ambition and calculations.
5. Enthusiasm.
6. As a rule, non-standard organization and methods of managing the processes of the company's activities are used.

What are the types of startups

Startups can be divided according to several criteria. For example, depending on the characteristics of the product and the sales market, the following classification of startups is distinguished:

• Copies of other successful projects. This includes numerous domestic projects, which are copies of foreign startups. The most popular are social networks: Vkontakte, Odnoklassniki, etc.
• Entrance to an already occupied niche. As a rule, the introduction of a product can be realized at the expense of a price advantage and more favorable marketing conditions.
• A dark horse. For the most part, innovative projects, the prospects of which are difficult to predict due to the lack of alternatives. On the one hand, this is a big risk for the creators of the project, and on the other hand, it is an opportunity to get high profits in case of success.

Another classification of startups is the degree of knowledge intensity. Depending on it, traditional startups and projects based on high-tech technologies are distinguished. The former are formed on the basis of easy-to-implement ideas, while the latter use advanced features that require appropriate funding.

Where to get money for the project

Your project must be placed on the relevant sites and startup exchanges. Such Internet platforms serve as a link between a potential investor and a startup. During lectures and trainings in coworking clubs, there is also an opportunity to present your ideas. There is always a diverse business community here. Among which there can be found both assistants in the implementation of the idea, the necessary specialists and professionals, and investors for the project.

One of the most popular means of funding startups is crowdfunding. The choice of the optimal site and the correct construction of an investment attraction campaign is key feature project development at an early stage. To achieve the greatest efficiency and enter the crowdfunding platform, you need to correctly draw up a project plan, in which the following points must be taken into account:

• Target.
• The audience. Determine who will be interested in your ideas, who will be interested in financing your project. A good option- conduct research in independent forums.
• General estimate. Before entering the crowdfunding site, determine how much funding the project will require. Usually they use this formula: Total amount - the amount for the implementation of the project + related + administrative expenses + the amount that may be required to solve unforeseen tasks.
• Media planning. After launching the project, create a database along with Internet resources that will contribute to the development and promotion of the project.
• Prototype. If your startup is technological solution, then it is desirable to have a layout of the final product. Investors will be more willing to agree with you if you show them preliminary results and, on their basis, ask for money for the final goal.
• Promo clip. A video review will interest sponsors and will attract more investment. It can be specific about how the prototype works and the end goals of your project.
• Reward. A very important point when raising funds on the crowdfunding site. In order for sponsors to support your project, they must benefit from it. Optimally - the finished product.

To receive dividends from crowdfunding, promotion and work on the site must be given full time. Get ready to work overtime.

Stages of startup development

Everyone who organizes their startup goes through several stages:

Sowing. The preliminary stage at which ways to implement the idea are sought. Market analysis is carried out, a business plan is drawn up. Also at this stage, the creation of a product layout, tests, surveys and searches for sources of funding. In fact, this is the main stage at which most of the unsuccessful and improperly organized startups are eliminated.

launch. This stage comes after the sponsor is found. Now the project can be launched on the general market. At this stage, a direct fight with competitors begins, so it is necessary to demonstrate business acumen and use creative thinking.

Development. An intermediate stage in which there is a gradual, pragmatic growth of the project. It's time to break even and start making money with your sponsor.

Extension. This stage occurs immediately after achieving the goals that were originally laid down in the business plan. At this stage, the project becomes recognizable, its position in the market is no longer threatened. Now you can develop the project in new markets, look for new outlets and audience.

Final stage or exit. This stage is characterized by reaching the peak of the project development, when sponsors give up their share in this business, selling it to larger players. In rare cases, investors retain a stake in the project and later use it as a source of passive income.

Startups based on American and European models

Domestic startups differ from foreign analogue projects. There are not so many innovative ideas, and “successful copies” are the most popular, a striking example is social network Vkontakte, copied from another social network - Facebook.

As you know, the main center of IT business is located in the USA, in the state of California. European clusters began to form around large technology companies such as Nokia and Skype. A large number of investors contributed to the fact that London has become the largest European IT capital. Over time, Amsterdam, Paris, Zurich and Berlin joined him. Features of startups made according to the European model, and their difference from the USA:

• For European funds, distribution between several centers of concentration is typical. The 100 mile rule states that investors are willing to invest in companies that are within 100 miles of their office.
• heterogeneous environment. Europe has 8 language groups and more than thirty jurisdictions. The states have only one language and one mentality, which makes it easier to adapt the project to the audience.
• Conservative attitude towards bankruptcy. If the company failed the project, then investors are unlikely to cooperate with it. In the States, the opposite is true, companies give a second chance.
• The average age of entrepreneurs in Europe ranges from 30 years. In the United States, the rule is: the sooner the better, so the first startups are developed while still a student.
• Pragmatic approach. Europeans tend to test the business plan, earn income and only after that attract investments for the project. In the United States, they initially strive to make a large project a reality, and only then attract monetization and traffic.

In simple terms, crowdfunding is an online platform where young businessmen post their project plan and request for funding, and people voluntarily send them money so that the first ones can carry out their plan.

Projects are very diverse: from the creation of unusual jewelry, gadgets and the publication of rare books to the implementation of huge social ideas.

What are they raising money for now?

At the moment, on crowdfunding sites, you can find many interesting projects that catch on with their ideological and novelty.

For example, young biomedical scientists raise money for the development of a new type of materials for seams on vessels. They already have successfully completed projects behind their backs. And this idea also has a chance of success.

Not only unknown people can collect money on such platforms. Often albums are recorded with the money of sponsors famous musical groups. Or, for example, they make films, as the Bi-2 group does.

Other the guys are also collecting for the movie, but in a completely different direction. The project is called Media. A film about the influence of mass media on society. The authors promise to open to everyone the tools of influence used by the media. Also, the creators of the project already have a lot of filmed videos in which they raise acute social issues.

It is curious that it is possible to raise money even for personal purposes, without pursuing any high social idea. So an athlete involved in a rare sport called SwimRun asked for help from all who care. He qualified for the World Championships in this discipline and needed funds to travel to Italy where the World Cup will take place. And the athlete was lucky, he managed to interest people and get the right amount for the trip.

Here is an example of a completed project. Originally the author of the idea of ​​​​an inflatable sofa called "Bevan" wanted to collect a million rubles. But the startup scored a record amount of 3,890,140 rubles. Now happy owners of bivans can easily be found in the parks of Moscow.

Where to begin?

As much as you would like to quickly start collecting money, you should not rush into this matter. First you need to think carefully about your offer. The right idea is already half the success of the project. What should be its description?

1. as detailed as possible. Describe what and how you plan to create. If you are creating a certain product, then describe its quality, what materials it should be made of, who is working on its creation. Tell us how you came up with the idea to create it.
2. Smart and beautifully designed. A well-made offer will attract more people.
3. justified. People love fair offers, so be as specific as possible about why you need this amount to implement your idea. Describe what you plan to spend it on.
4. Bright and interesting. People need to believe that you really live your idea. Such a project will interest sponsors, make them read the description to the end and most likely invest in its implementation.
5. Contain reward information. Be sure to think about what you will offer people in return. It can be a banal souvenir with the symbols of your company, or a sample of the product itself, for which you are collecting money, or a discount for its purchase.

Choose a crowdfunding site

There are many sites in Russia where you can place your project. We have collected the most popular and interesting:

Boomstarter

Boomstarter is an analogue of Kickstarte, the most popular foreign platform for crowdfunding. Here you can raise money for the implementation of various projects: music, design, cinematography and others.

Site features:

• In order to register a project, you need to be a citizen of the Russian Federation, be over 18 years old and have an account in a Russian bank.
• The author of the idea will be able to take the money if he collects the entire amount, if not, he will receive nothing.
• There are no time limits for fundraising.
• Commission 5% upon successful collection of money.

Planet

Another crowdfunding platform where you can raise money for the implementation of various projects, except for political ones.

Site features:

• To register a project, you must be over 18 years old, have a valid bank account. Applications are accepted from citizens of any state.
• When implementing charitable projects, no commission is charged.
• You can withdraw money even if not 100% of the amount has been collected, however, a large commission is charged for an incomplete amount.
• It is possible to extend the time of collection of money once.

Circles

An interesting platform for the implementation of creative projects. In the piggy bank, the platform has projects dedicated to music, literary creativity, video works and more.

Site features:

• Everyone can pay as much as they can.
• Commission for withdrawal of funds 15%.
• The platform is ideal for promoting your creativity and earning royalties.

startman

A platform with a nice and simple design that offers not only fundraising for various projects, but also additional services for them.

Site features:

• You can book a consultation with an expert.
• Specialists for an additional fee will help develop a fundraising plan for your project.
• There is a separate service - assistance in registration

Think about how to talk about the project

You have registered a project, but a small circle of people knows about it. How to make sure that everyone knows about it? We offer several options for disseminating information:

• Ask sponsors and everyone who is interested to share your idea on their social networks.
• Spread the word to all your friends and family, ask them to share your idea with others.
• If you have the opportunity to collaborate with famous people or bloggers, do it. Pay attention to those who are just gaining popularity or belong to the same audience for which you are creating a product. You may be able to negotiate a promotion on a barter basis that you don't have to pay for.
• If the project is unique and significant, try to involve the media. This is even more difficult than getting bloggers interested, but if you succeed, promotion success is guaranteed.

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